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Gordon Ford College of Business News

GFCB Maintains AACSB Accreditation

Author: Stacey Gish

Author: Wednesday, April 18th, 2018

Western Kentucky University’s Gordon Ford College of Business has maintained AACSB International (Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business) accreditation for both the business and the accounting programs. AACSB International is the longest serving global accrediting body for business schools that offer degrees in business and accounting.

Synonymous with the highest standards of excellence since 1916, AACSB accreditation has been earned by less than five percent of the world’s business programs. Nearly 800 business schools in 51 countries and territories maintain AACSB accreditation. From those, 187 institutions maintain an additional accreditation for its accounting programs.

“The Gordon Ford College of Business provides world-class programs through the efforts of its faculty and staff,” said WKU President Timothy Caboni. “AACSB accreditation recognizes the College’s high standards. Students should feel confident in their decisions to pursue business or accounting degrees at WKU.”

The College first earned AACSB accreditation in 1982 while the accounting program first earned accreditation in 2009. AACSB accredited institutions must complete an intensive peer-review process every five years to ensure continued compliance with evolving business education standards.

“Ongoing maintenance of accreditation confirms that students in our College receive the most relevant education and training by highly qualified faculty members who are experts in their fields,” said GFCB Dean Jeff Katz. “Our programs provide the necessary education and skills to ensure long-term success as leaders of business, active global citizens, and ethical participants in society.”

“The review team said they were impressed with the processes that the College has put into place to help students be successful beyond the classroom,” said Shane Spiller, chair of the Continuous Improvement Committee for the GFCB.

The accreditation review process is akin to an audit to ensure high quality and continuous improvement in the accounting program, according to Dr. Harold Little, chair of the Department of Accounting.

“The mission of the accounting program at WKU is to provide excellent accounting education and prepare students for successful and rewarding careers in accounting and business,” Little said. “Everything we do in the Department -- from the day students are admitted into the program to graduation and even to professional continuing education – is measured against that mission.” For example, the faculty assesses its assurance of learning process by using a pre-graduation comprehensive exit examination, lightheartedly referred to by students as a “mini CPA” examination.

“AACSB accreditation confirms what every business student at WKU already knows: that we are receiving the highest quality applied business education from some of the best faculty in the world at one of the most premier colleges of business in the United States,” said senior management major Nathan Cherry. “AACSB is more than an acronym we throw around; it boldly declares that the Gordon Ford College of Business at WKU is set apart from the pack and successfully training the next generation of global business leaders.”